Mizzen Beau, under Steve Bahen, was strong early and powerful late in taking Saturday's $250,000 Bison City Stakes presented by Rethink Breast Cancer, at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.
The mile and one-sixteenth Bison City, second leg of the Triple Tiara for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies, was missing Curlin's Voyage, who won the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser on August 15. The daughter of Curlin instead contested the 161st running of the Queen's Plate today, finishing fifth.
Trained by Norm Casse, Mizzen Beau arrived at the Bison City off a fourth-place effort in the Woodbine Oaks. It was the second consecutive start at Woodbine for the Daniel Investment Holdings' grey, who finished fifth in the Fury Stakes on July 5.
The third time at the Toronto oval proved to be the charm.
Breaking sharply from the gate, Mizzen Beau was guided towards the rail by Bahen, as Infinite Patience and Truth Hurts settled in second and third, respectively, around the first turn and through an opening quarter-mile in :23.49. Mutuel favorite Afleet Katherine, who was runner-up to Curlin's Voyage in the Woodbine Oaks, sat fifth along the rail.
It was status quo for the top flight after a half-mile clip in :47.68, as Mizzen Beau maintained a comfortable one-length lead.
As the eight-horse field began the turn for home, Afleet Katherine and jockey Justin Stein looked for a seam to take aim at the leader, while Truth Hurts attempted an inside bid.
Any thoughts of corralling Mizzen Beau were quickly dashed, as Bahen and the Richard Lister-bred filly dashed away from their rivals with ease, widening their advantage down the lane.
At the wire, Mizzen Beau, who delivered Casse his first Canadian win, was 4 3/4-lengths ahead of Afleet Katherine. Truth Hurts was a head back in third, with Gun Society finishing fourth.
The final time over the Tapeta was 1:44.35.
“She broke real sharp, and she's kind of a small little filly,” said Bahen, who teamed with Silent Fleet to win the 1996 Bison City. “Norm [Casse] just said kind of let her be happy where she is like last time, and she was up there kind of tugging on me so I said, 'OK, this is where we're going to be' just hoping she'd settle down, and she did down the backside. Was perfect.”
Just as it was down the stretch.
“I didn't hear anybody behind me,” noted Bahen. “I kind of smooched to her to make her pick it up a little bit just on her own, and when we turned for home we went.”
The win was the third from nine starts for the daughter of Mizzen Mast, who debuted last July with a fourth-place finish at Ellis Park.
Mizzen Beau broke her maiden in her third career start, a sharp 2 3/4-length score over seven panels on the Keeneland dirt on October 11.
The third and final leg in the series is the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at one mile and one-quarter on the turf, on October 25.
Mizzen Beau returned $19.10, $5.80 and $3.60, combining with Afleet Katherine ($2.80, $2.10) for a $42.90 (4-2) exactor. A 4-2-3 (Truth Hurts, $3.40 to show) triactor paid $143.60, while a $1 superfecta [4-2-3-8 (Gun Society)] was worth $413.40.
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